Hopelessly Devoted
by Ananaka
Summary: Sanji Is rejected by his beloved Nami san when she declares her love and respect to Luffy after being hit by their latest enemy.Who will be there to pick up the pieces? ZoroxSanji.


Summary: Sanji is rejected by his beloved Nami-san when she declares her love and respect to Luffy after being hit with an "illusion bomb" from their latest enemy. Who will be there to pick up the pieces when the cook falls apart? (Zoro and Sanji)

Rating: T, for language.

Genre: Romance, angst, and friendship.

It was just another battle, or so he thought. The Straw-Hat Pirates had been attacked by a group of pirates dedicated to the workings of the mind, wanting take Luffy and the rest down for the bounty, everything seemed fairly even until-

"NAMI-SAN!" Sanji shouted as he threw a high kick to his precious Nami-san's attacker's head, but not before the man threw a pinkish smoke bomb at her.

"Illusion Bomb!" The man shouted before being kicked in the groin for every even thinking about hurting Nami. Blindly Sanji ran into the smoke, intent on saving Nami.

Nami screamed as she was hit square in her chest with the capsule sized bomb, and then blown back by the explosion.

Frantically she looked around, at first all she could see was a pink fog, but that soon cleared to reveal a scene, a dreaded scene.

Before Nami's eyes flashed the pirates that had attacked them killing off each of her friends, one-by-one she watched them go, screaming in anguish at each, though not being able to move or interact in the scene in anyway.

Straining to move she assumed that the bomb had disabled her so that she would be unable to help her friends.

Finally the pirates had come to her captain. Luffy D. Monkey, her captain.

"NO!" She screamed as she felt herself sob harder, her voice cracking from the previous screams that she had allowed pass.

"Luffy! NO! Luffy, please?" She screamed, but to no avail, the pirates it seemed weren't able to even hear her.

Sanji pushed through the fog, seeing Nami's shaking figure in the center. He had heard her screams, from what he had heard the man say before kicking him it would make her see such a horrible sight that it would make her an easy kill. He would not allow that. He had to save Nami-san.

"Luffy! No, Luffy, please?" He heard her yell again and again, though thinking nothing of it, he was after all their captain.

"Luffy!" Nami shrieked with a sobbing passion as she made his ears ring louder than they were already.

"I love you! Luffy, don't leave me, please?" Nami screamed as she slammed on the ground. Sanji had finally found her and was about to wrap his arms around her when he heard her declaration of love for their captain.

Stopping horrified in mid-air Sanji simply stared at the girl he loved so much, loved beyond an imagining, she was his angel, his goddess, and she didn't want him.

Sanji continued his motion to wrap his arms around her, allowing himself to cry a few tears alongside the shaking tangerine-haired beauty.

Sanji thought about that moment as he stirred the pasta side-dish that he was making in the kitchen. He still loved Nami-san, even if she didn't love him in return.

Though he had to admit that he hadn't been the same since the incident, he couldn't help but wince every time he saw Nami-san and Luffy together, touching, talking, anything. He berated himself for not noticing the mutual attraction between the two, he should have gotten it when Luffy let Nami-san where his prized hat in their battle against Arlong. But he didn't, at that time his love for her had blinded him.

Sighing, Sanji put his ladle down on the stove. Moping would do nothing for him, and yet he couldn't help himself.

Walking over to a small counter, Sanji continued to chop several vegetables to put in the pasta for flavor.

He also scolded himself for still hanging on Nami-san's every whim, still he made her food with just a touch more care, still he brought her special desserts and drinks throughout the day, still he longed for her, even though he k\now knew that it would never be.

Sanji knew that that night at dinner would be difficult, it had been every long night since he learned the truth.

In a huff Sanji picked up the main course with one hand, just as he was about to swing open the kitchen doors and place it on the dining room table, when he heard two voices.

"Luffy, I just…wanted to thank you for always being there for me…. Always helping me and caring about me.. I just…" Sanji listened, that was his Nami-san's voice, his Nami-san, in her own way, telling Luffy how she really felt. A thing that made his heart wrench.

"Nami?" Sanji heard Luffy's voice ask as he pressed his ear closer to the door.

"Come on Nami… Don't cry…" Luffy said, Sanji could barely contain himself, the last thing he wanted was Nami-san to cry, but she wasn't his to hold, not anymore at least.

Sighing, or perhaps chocking back a sob, he turned on his foot to go back to the table for a moment, he just needed a moment to get himself together.

A bit later he strolled, rather loudly, into the dining room, served the food, and quickly left again without so much as a word about the dish that they would be feasting on that night, not even calling them all together to the table. All very suspicious, he didn't even sit down to eat himself, just returned to his kitchen. Yes, Zoro found this very suspicious indeed. What could be wrong with the stupid love-cook?

Sanji sat dejectedly on top of his counter, something that he would have put anyone else in intensive care for, but at the moment he couldn't care less about coking, or anything really. That split second, that moment he had opened the door he had seen Luffy holding and brushing Nami-san's hair away from her slightly tear streaked face, he had even let her wear his hat again. It was just too much.

Breathing harshly out, Sanji brought a hand up from holding his legs in their Indian style to rub at his right eye. The other he used to brush his hair out of his face to get to his left eye. He just loved Nami-san so much…

Zoro took that moment to burst through the kitchen doors with his plate, quickly noticing Sanji's slouching form on top of the cabinets on the counter turned away from him.

After scraping his plate clean and setting it in the sink, the swordsmen turned to the cook. He was being much more annoying than usual, even his silence was annoying.

"Hey, cook?" Zoro asked gruffly as he looked at the back of the blonde's head.

Sanji made no move, only closed his eyes. He would never be able to love it down if Zoro were to catch him crying.

"Sanji!" Zoro yelled as he roughly grabbed the cook's shoulder to shake him a bit.

Eyebrow twitching in annoyance, Sanji asked with a slightly wavering voice, "What?"

Zoro frowned a bit more than usual as he removed his hand from Sanji's shoulder.

"What the hell is wrong with you lately? You're acting more shitty and annoying than usual?" He asked with a rough tinge in his voice.

What's wrong? A lot, Sanji would have said if his pride hadn't held him back.

"Stupid swordsman, what makes you think anything's wrong?" Sanji asked as he allowed a smirk to cross his face as he spoke sarcastically to the man behind him, even risking a glance over his shoulder to see Zoro's reaction.

Zoro growled, he really hated the cook when he was like that. "Oh nothing, only the fact that you've been even _more _annoying than usual, quieter too. I think I preferred the old you." Zoro countered sarcastically as his glare burned a hole in the back of Sanji's head.

Sanji was quiet for a moment. What exactly could he say to that?

"Seaweed head." Sanji finally settled on, he could easily change the subject by insulting the

Zoro cringed, he _really _hated Sanji when he was like that.

"Shitty cook!" He countered with a venomous voice.

Frowning, Sanji yelled, "Stupid swordsman!" _No one _insulted his cooking.

"Mr. _Princess_!"

The two went on like that for a while until Sanji sighed and hunched over. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't come up with any new names to call the swordsman, he didn't have the strength, or will for that matter, to throw a well deserved kick at the other man's head. In fact, all he could seem to think about was his beautiful Nami-san in the arms of another man.

Silently he looked down at his feet as he concentrated on ignoring Zoro behind him, who seemed contented with "beating" Sanji. No doubt he believed that his wit was greater. Sanji had to give an exhausted and sad laugh at that.

"What?" Zoro asked, slightly confused as to why Sanji was laughing.

Sanji simply shook his head and hunched over his legs a bit more, feeling the tears well up in his eyes again as a rueful smile took over his face. Though he would not let Zoro see him cry, that simply would not happen. Silently he brought a hand to his face to wipe away the unshed tears before they spilled.

Unfortunately Sanji's previous action tipped off the swordsman.

Zoro let a look of sympathetic confusion cross his place. "Sanji?" He asked as he placed his hand over the cook's shoulder. Sanji didn't move to make him stop, only sat as more tears welled up in his eyes.

"Sanji?" Zoro tried again, thoroughly confused, what had made Sanji cry? Was it simply the name calling? Or was he being a bad loser? Something else? Zoro had no idea, all he knew was that Sanji had been different since the fight they had had with a band of pirates a week or so before.

Sanji simply closed his eyes and tried to wish away Zoro who was standing behind him. He really hated seeming _weak_.

"Nami-san…" Sanji whispered quietly as he kept his eyes downcast as he twisted a piece of his pants material between his fingers.

"What?" Zoro asked. Sanji had said it so quietly he didn't think that he had heard right. How could Nami make him so miserable? He _loved _Nami. Not knowing exactly what to do Zoro sighed as he took his hand off of Sanji's shoulder and went around side of the counter, leaning over it near Sanji. Could it be that he was simply lovesick again?

Sanji risked a glance over to Zoro, he was suddenly more uncomfortable than he had been, something about the other man's temperament had changed and Sanji didn't think that he liked it.

He would never admit it, ever, but he actually felt a bit bad for Sanji. He had never seen Sanji look so down before, though he had heard from Luffy that when Sanji had left the Baratie he took it rough.

"Come on Sanji, this is getting annoying." Zoro prodded as he tried to avoid actually looking at Sanji, this was more difficult than he thought it would be.

Sanji turned his head to look at Zoro, he seemed different, like he could actually care. Leaning over Sanji looked skeptically into his face, he couldn't see anything about it that was lying. Zoro watched Sanji's eyes as his face was studied by the love cook. Sanji didn't trust him, he knew that already.

Contented with his findings Sanji leaned over a bit more to rest his head on the swordsman. He wasn't Nami-san, but he did seem to care. And who knew? Maybe he could someday forget about Nami-san.

That's it! Please read and review and tell me what you think! This didn't end at all like I had planned, but hey, I think it works okay. Thank you!

I would like to thank Kanthia for pointing out my mistake with the Baratie, I don't know what I was thinking! Thank you Kanthia!


End file.
